Sugar Rush || Completed

{ 28 } eclair

{ 28 } eclairs

I cross my arms and stand in front of him, giving him enough time to get a few sentences in.

"Bonnie, I don't want you to cast me away based on something I did because I felt threatened of competition when I wasn't expecting any," he pauses, looking for the next thing to say while also gauging my reaction.

"You're excusing what you did, knowingly sabotaging my business and my chance at such a prestigious organization, such an organization that if I missed my admission this year, I might not have gotten another chance for for years? All because you couldn't handle the fact that someone else might actually be as good as you? Better even!"

Luis's eyes are wide open now and I'm aware that I've gotten increasingly louder.

"I swear it's not like that. I didn't even know about the admissions process this year-"

"Oh really?" I interject, "But you sure do seem to know about Mr. and Mrs. Foliary."

He just stammers in front of me now. His hands move in and out of his pockets. "It's not like that," he says quietly, a hint of uncertainty, like he's withholding some aspect of the statement.

"You keep saying that. But you're not exactly telling me what it's like."

"Well I'm not sure what you want me to say now. I told you I don't stand by my past actions now but you seem like you're not having any of it," he explains, hands waving in an exasperated motion.

I'm completely baffled by his mannerisms. What he's doing here, talking to me, is beyond my understanding.

"You attacked my business, I retaliated," He doesn't react to this. It's common knowledge now. It's like before this moment we were afraid of actually admitting what we've done, both highly illegal. But we're faced with the truth, and it's going downhill from here. "But why did you continue to be nice? Your plan of sabotaging my business clearly failed so why continue talking to me? Friendly even considering what we've both done."

"Again, I've changed," Luis shrugs and his hands are back in his pockets. His stance is calming down now.

"I call bullshit," I say.

"Is that so hard to believe?" Luis asks, tilting his head one way. "Is it really hard to believe that I think whatever was happening between us before tonight is better than this tug of war that could have hurt us more than it should have?"

I hate that he's still trying to be thoughtful despite it all. "I just want you to tell me that you did it, that you meant it to destroy me and my business, so that I can just be done with this. It's better than you tiptoeing around what we both already know."

"You don't want that," Luis is looking me in the eye now, unwavering, and eyes narrowed.

"I don't want it? Or you don't want it? Just tell me!"

"Fine!" Luis huffs and crosses his arms defensively, "So I set up the flour bombs all over your bakery because I knew ahead of time that the board members were in state and they were more likely to take neither of us than both of us so I just wanted to make sure I was the obvious choice seeing as I would be the only one open. And then you had to cover my entire shop in disgusting honey and despite the circumstances I had to laugh because it was so pointless, the board members were already out of state anyways. So then there was some silent consensus to start hating each other but then the baking convention happened and I realized maybe I don't actually hate you even though you purposely smeared me with cupcake icing trying to make me look unprofessional. But how could I actually like you after the fact that you constantly attack my business? And furthermore, how would you ever like me after I could have ruined your chance at something we could have both enjoyed?" He pauses, and runs his fingers through his hair again, leaving his hands resting at his temples. "So yes I deeply regret it and I thought that having us both in the Pastry Guild would have fixed the superficial problem of our feud but it didn't and now you have even more reason to hate me."

We're both staring at each other, breathing quietly, and I want to leave. I don't even care if I don't stay for the rest of the gala, I just want to go home and bury myself in my bed. He wasn't supposed to be actually apologetic. I want to hate him so bad but it's hard.

"Are you going to say anything?" Luis asks, voice low and uncertain. I don't hate him, I really don't, but maybe another day we'll finish this conversation and it'll be nicer.

I reach out for his hand and gently grasp it. He returns the motion.

"No, but thank you," I say and let go of his hand before walking back into the ceremony room.

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